Our objective was to isolate a dehydrogenase from a cell-free extract of T. furgasoni. The partially purified enzyme demonstrated a substrate specificity for secondary alcohols, therefore the kinetics with both non-steroidal alcohols were studied. Characterization of the secondary alcohol dehydrogenase included pH optimum, molecular weight, effect of inhibitors, and heat. A growth-inhibition study was also done to investigate whether the in vivo reduction of the ketone at the C-3 of a steroid was a detoxication mechanism.